Gerald



- (No Model.)-

W. J. FITZGERALD.

Album Clasp.

No. 240,314. Patented April 19,1881.-

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PATENT WILLIAM J. FITZGERALD, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO GAYNOR & FITZGERALD, OF SAME PLACE.

ALBUM-CLASP.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,314, dated April 19, 1881.

Application filed January 26, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FITZ- GERALD, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new, useful, and Improved Album-Clasp, of which the following is a description.

My invention belongs to that class of clasps which are extensible, its object beingto make the clasp adjustable to the varying thickness of books and albums.

The nature of this invention consists in combining with a central plate with lips arranged at its side edges and depending upon its rear side, thus forming guides, extensible plates or slides having studs, one adapted to be hinged to the album-cover edge and the other to receive a stud on the other edge of the cover, and a disk adapted to revolve upon a central axis of the center plate, and having eccentric slots or grooves which receive the studs of the extensible plates, with a back plate, substantially as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the clasp in position on an album. Fig. 2 is a view of the clasp reversed or turned over from its position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows the means for moving the slides, and Fig. 4 shows it with one slide and means for moving it.

To enable others to makemyimproved clasp so that it will be extensible, as contemplated, I will describe it in detail.

The central part or plate, A, is punched from sheet metal, with the lips a, Fig. 3, which are turned over to hold the slides. The slides B and C are also punched from sheet metal. The slide B has one of its ends turned over to form the eye 12 of the hinge, and the slide C has a hole punched near one ot'its ends, into which the stud of the hasp passes. Like studs 0 are riveted into the slides, on which the eccentric sides of the segmental slots in the circular disk D act. The circular disk or plate D is also punched from sheet metal, and a central hole is punched in it, through which the rivet :r, Fig. 2, passes, to hold it to the central plate, A, the

disk being free to turn on the rivet. The like circular slots on and n, Fig. 3, are also punched in the disk D, and so arranged that their sides are parts of peripheries of eccentrics, and move the slides by the studs 0 as the disk is turned. The circular plate E, Fig. 2, is punched from thin sheet metal, and is held by the rivet at, its object being to cover the slots in the disk D and the studs in the slides, and to give a good appearance to the clasp. The part or strap 01 is made of sheet metal, and is doubled to'form the eyes 01 and to fit the edge of the cover. A wire passes through these eyes and the eye in the slide B, to hinge the parts together. The hasp e is also made of sheet metal, formed to lit the edge of the cover, and has the stud s, the end of which is enlarged, riveted into it to form the hasp.

It is obvious thatonly one slide need be used, the clasp assuming the less extensible form shown in Fig. 5.

I am aware that, broadly, it is old to employ a plate or disk with volute, curved, or eccentric slots, which receive studs from other plates to produce an extensible clasp.

I am well aware that extensible clasps have been made and used, and are not novel; but

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a clasp for albums or books, the combination of the central plate, A, having lips to a arranged at its side edges and adapted to form guides upon its rear side, the disk D, adapted to revolve upon a central axis, 00, of the plate A, and having eccentric grooves or slots in a, side or extensible plates, B 0, having studs 0 0, entering the grooves or slots of the disk D, and one adapted to be hinged to the album or book-cover edge and the other to receive a stud of the otheredge of the cover, and a back plate, E, as shown and described.

WILLIAM J. FITZGERALD.

Witnesses GEORGE TERRY, EARL BROWN. 

